Not content with the CDA, Sen. Exon derails Pro-CODE

[Declan McCullagh]

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Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 17:54:52 -0500
To: fight-censorship-announce at vorlon.mit.edu
From: declan at well.com (Declan McCullagh)
Subject: Not content with the CDA, Sen. Exon derails Pro-CODE

When the White House wanted to derail pro-encryption legislation, they
knew where to turn: to the infamous author of the even more infamous
Communications Decency Act.

Last month Sen. Jim Exon (D-Nebraska) wrote the attached letter to Sen.
Pressler, chair of the commerce committee, days before the ProCODE
pro-crypto bill would have cleared its last hurdle in committee then moved
to the floor of the Senate for a vote. Because of Exon's threatened
"several amendments" that would defang the bill, the markup never
happened.

Thanks to Exon, it didn't have a chance.

But don't blame the retiring senator from Nebraska. Not only are your
electrons wasted, he's not the true culprit. It was the White House, in
thrall to the Justice Department: Gore advisor Greg Simon made the calls
to Exon's office that prompted this letter to Pressler.

-Declan
http://fight-censorship.dementia.org/top/

Background: http://www.hotwired.com/muckraker/96/36/index4a.html

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September 9, 1996

The Honorable Larry Pressler
Chairman
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
243 Russell Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Pressler:

I understand that the Senate Commerce Committee may have a markup this
week to consider the so-called Pro-CODE computer encryption bill.

As you know, the computer industry has had a series of high-level
discussions with the President, Vice President, and the government's
national security experts. I am hopeful that these discussions will
produce substantial and meaningful reform in the current export regime for
encryption software. Given the national security and law enforcement
implications of the proposed legislation, to rush into a mark-up before
these concerns are resolved would be a mistake.

If the measure is taken up on Thursday, I would expect that there would be
several amendments.

With best wishes,

Sincerely,

Jim Exon
United States Senator

cc The Honorable Fritz Hollings

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